


Welcome to the Glitterverse

by Shadow_Side



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Christmas fic, Fluff, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-19 14:24:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17003349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow_Side/pseuds/Shadow_Side
Summary: Nothing says 'Merry Christmas' like a portal to another plane. Especially the most fabulous plane of them all.[A stand-alone fic set inChiralityverse.]





	Welcome to the Glitterverse

**Author's Note:**

> ...and you thought I wasn't doing a Christmas fic this year! And OK, yes, this is just a little one, but it's an idea I've had on my list for ages and it is _Christmas_ after all..!
> 
> This one is set in the winter after _Da Capo Al Fine_ , and a year after _A Choral Chiral Christmas_. As always, please refer to the [Chiralityverse Series Notes](https://archiveofourown.org/series/146883) for some helpful guidance on reading orders for this series as a whole.

It's just over a week until Christmas, and Cecil already can't wait.

He, Carlos and Kevin spent the previous evening decorating the house, and it all looks wonderful, and now Cecil is feeling in a very festive mood. There's lights in the windows, and tinsel on the mantelpiece, and a miniature CIA bear on top of the secret police monitoring box. There's even a collection of baubles that Kevin insists are "absolutely, totally safe" and only _look_ like they contain tiny rifts in the fabric of reality.

They certainly sparkle a lot.

Right now, it's the weekend, and Cecil is enjoying a nice, relaxing day off. He's wrapped some presents, and done some reading, and he's just contemplating starting dinner when he hears what sounds like a small explosion coming from the direction of Carlos' home lab.

It makes him jump up at once, at precisely the same second as Kevin appears from the kitchen, where he's been baking a Christmas cake.

"…that was an explosion," he says, half matter-of-fact and half-concerned.

"We should probably check on Carlos," Cecil replies, and – in unspoken agreement – Kevin immediately follows him through to the door to their brilliant scientist fiancé's lab.

"…Carlos?" Kevin says, carefully, as he opens the door just slightly. "Carlos, is everything OK in there?"

"Uhm… yes. Yes! Everything is fine!" comes Carlos' reply, in precisely the tone of voice he uses when he's trying to hide something.

Cecil and Kevin exchange a look, and then Kevin opens the door wider, so the two of them can see what's going on. Beyond, Carlos' lab looks perfectly normal… aside from the very centre of the room, where there's some sort of ring-shaped metallic contraption covering a section of the floor, which Carlos is trying to hide by standing in front of. It's endearingly ineffectual, given that the device in question is so large, even Azatothoth the Bloodthirsty couldn't obscure it all by standing in front of it.

"…Everything is fine!" Carlos insists again. "I'm not up to anything. Except science. Obviously that. Just normal, non-weird science…"

Carlos really is wonderful. Desperately wonderful. And so very bad at hiding things.

"Are you OK?" Cecil asks. "We heard an explosion."

"Just a small explosion!" Carlos replies, tone still more than a little high-pitched. "A scientific explosion!"

Cecil and Kevin exchange another look, and then – far too practiced at this by now – Kevin paces slowly closer, with the air of a man considering all sorts of bad and wicked things. It's usually the best way to get Carlos to calm down.

"What _are_ you doing in here?" Kevin asks. It's not quite his 'tell me all your secrets' voice, but it's close, and the way it makes Carlos jump really is too delicious to deny.

"Science?" Carlos tries.

Kevin folds his arms. Carlos attempts to look innocent for about five more seconds before he visibly gives in.

"…OK, so, don't freak out, but… I was sort of trying to open a planar gateway. Sort of. A little. For science. And… and I realise you usually need to have those awesome powers you two have, but there's a scientific element to it as well and I thought maybe I could get a gateway to actualise if I tried…"

"Carlos… is that wise?" Cecil asks, carefully. "You don't know what might come through it."

"I'm not exactly trying to connect to one of the Infernal Planes," Carlos insists, quickly, with a somewhat guilty look in Kevin's direction. "I mean… I sort of thought about trying one of the lower ones but the math just didn't work and where even _are_ those planes, anyway..?"

"In the Inferno!" Kevin replies, sounding concerned.

"Well… either way, I figured I'd try something a little safer," Carlos goes on, just as quickly. "So I ran some more calculations, and configured this thing," he gestures to the weird device, and the broad metal ring on the ground, "and I decided to try it again. And… it may have imploded a little. Just a little!"

Cecil and Kevin move in closer, gently pulling Carlos in between them – Kevin in front and Cecil behind – so they can wrap their arms around him. The scientist, for his part, seems skittish at first but quickly relents, curling in.

"If you want to explore the planes, we could help, you know," Kevin points out.

"I know," Carlos replies. "I just… thought it would be cool. And a surprise."

"It was definitely surprising," Cecil says. "Which plane were you trying to connect to?"

Carlos pulls back from the hug, looking over at the strange contraption he's built. "Well, honestly, I'm not certain," he admits. "I was hoping to work that part out once I'd gotten the gateway to stabilise. You two make this look so easy…"

"We do have alarming supernatural powers," Kevin points out, with a grin. "Besides, are you even supposed to mix alarming supernatural powers and science?"

Carlos shrugs. "Any sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from alarming supernatural powers," he replies.

"Touché," Kevin says, still grinning. "You should let us help, though."

"You should," Cecil concurs. "We're _very_ into science."

"I think… maybe… if I tweak the settings a bit…" Carlos murmurs, and starts doing something to the alarmingly large collection of wires at the back of what looks like the device's control panel.

Cecil and Kevin watch in cautious bemusement for a moment, until Carlos looks up again, an oddly sheepish expression on his face.

"OK, uhm, Cecil… could you maybe… I know this might be cheating slightly, but could you give it a tiny zap with that planar energy you can… uhm… you can summon…"

Now he's blushing, which is no doubt because he's thinking about the _other_ uses Cecil has discovered for the planar energy in question. And now _Cecil_ is thinking about them too, and no doubt Kevin is doing the same, and… they really do get distracted a lot.

Science. Yes. Concentrate, Cecil.

"I can do that," he replies, and steps in closer; resting his hand on the edge of the device and focusing on…

He has just long enough to process that he's created the energy, and then the next second all three of them are flung backwards away from the device by a second, rather larger explosion. Only, this time, it's followed by a burst of light and _something_ swirls into existence in the centre of the metal ring.

"…Oh," Carlos murmurs, looking up at it from where he's landed. "Oh! I think it worked."

He's right. As the three of them stagger to their feet and move closer together again, they can all see the shimmering rift in reality that's formed in mid-air. Carlos rushes excitedly over to the control panel of his weird device to examine the readouts, whilst Cecil and Kevin stare a little more cautiously at the planar gateway itself.

"Well, there's no blood coming out of it," Kevin remarks, though his hand is on the hilt of his knife. "So that's a start. And it isn't screaming. The ones that scream are bad."

"It doesn't feel like the other ones I've seen," Cecil adds. "The Infernal Plane gateways have all been… sort of…"

"…sharp," Kevin says, not taking his eyes off the portal. "Whereas this is…"

"…different?" Cecil tries. "It's hard to describe. I'm not sure there's a word."

"There's one in Dzy-an-thyl," Kevin points out, and then promptly says it, which makes Carlos look up in delight.

"Where does it lead to?" Cecil asks, because this is a very important question for safety reasons. And… because he's curious.

"I'm not sure," Carlos admits. "The math wasn't easy. Maybe… we should check it out."

"There could be _anything_ on the other side of that gateway," Kevin says. "I don't think we should just wander through it."

"Oh, absolutely not," Carlos agrees. "That's why I have this…"

And he points to something on one of the nearby workbenches.

"Is that a drone?" Cecil asks.

"Yep!" Carlos replies, sounding pleased. "I built it myself. It has a camera mounted on it, so we can see what it's seeing in real-time. Or, we could, if time was real."

Carlos activates the drone, turning on a monitor so they can view the feed. They watch on the screen as the drone lifts into the air, turning and giving them a quick shot of themselves before it approaches the planar gateway.

"Here we go…" Carlos murmurs, and the drone flies through the gateway.

The three of them stand around the screen, watching as the image dissolves into static, and then, all of a sudden…

"…there!" Carlos exclaims, excitedly, and it's hard not to get swept up in his scientific glee. "It's working!"

"It looks so… bright," Kevin says, staring at the screen in interest.

"I don't think it's a problem with the camera," Carlos replies. "I think… whatever's over there is just very reflective…"

It's hard to make things out on the video feed as a result, though, and after a moment Carlos sighs. "Hmmmm," he says, "this isn't quite going as planned. Maybe we'll need to go in person…"

"Is that wise?" Cecil asks. "Even though it doesn't look like there's hordes of demons massing on the other side, it could still be dangerous…"

"That's why I have a safety line!" Carlos explains, brightly, in the voice of one who has clearly planned all this more than he's letting on. "You'll be able to pull me back if anything goes wrong."

Cecil and Kevin exchange another look. "All right," Cecil says. "But you have to promise to be careful."

"I promise," Carlos replies. "And I'll be fine. A scientist is always fine! I should bring the drone back first…"

He works the control and, sure enough, the drone appears through the portal a moment later. The three of them stare at it in surprise, given that the thing is now absolutely covered in…

"…glitter?" Carlos says, sounding surprised. "That's odd…"

Kevin claps a hand to his mouth in obvious delight, and then stares at the portal with sudden glee. "Carlos," he breathes, "I think you might have found it…"

"Found what?" Carlos asks.

"There are stories," Kevin says. "Stories told among summoners for hundreds of years, of a plane that's very difficult to reach: that many think is just a myth, but many more believe to be real. A world of unsurpassed _fabulousness_."

He pauses, clearly for effect; ever the storyteller, and then breathes, "the _Glitterverse_."

Cecil can't help a soft laugh. "The Glitterverse?" he repeats.

"Yes," Kevin replies, sounding awed. "And, Carlos… I think you might have found it!"

"Now I _have_ to go see what's through there," Carlos points out.

So he makes quick preparations: strapping on a safety harness that's connected a long rope line, so they can pull him back if necessary. And then he puts on a pair of lab goggles, before turning and facing the portal.

"If I tug three times on the rope, pull me back," he says.

"We will," Cecil replies. "And, Carlos… be careful."

"I will!" Carlos promises, excitedly. "Here we go. One small step…"

And he paces forwards, into the shimmering portal. Cecil and Kevin glance at each other, both of them keeping very firm hold of the coil of rope as it slowly unspools.

"…you're serious about this 'Glitterverse' thing?" Cecil has to ask.

"Of course," Kevin replies. "There are stories. Myths. _Legends_. I've heard of summoning covens who've dedicated _years_ to trying to find it."

"And you think Carlos has really just stumbled on it?"

Kevin smiles. "If anyone was going to, it would be our Carlos."

"Good point," Cecil agrees. "I wonder what it's really like through there…"

There's a pause, and the two of them glance at each other again as if trying to pretend that they did no such thing. "We could… lean through," Kevin suggests. "Just a little. Just… you know. To see."

"Do you think it's safe?" Cecil asks, cautiously. He _wants_ to do it. He just doesn't want anything bad to happen as a result.

"If it's the Glitterverse, it should be safe," Kevin replies. "The lore doesn't say anything dangerous lives there. And Carlos has the very end of this safety line bolted to the ground. So, we could have a tiny look…"

There's another pause, and another cautious shared glance. "We could," Cecil agrees, because he can't deny that he wants to. "But, safety first…"

Safety is important when it comes to science, after all. Mostly. They each find a pair of goggles and slip them on, and then stand at the edge of the portal.

"…On three," Cecil says. "One… two… _three_."

And – both keeping a firm hand on the rope – they lean forwards through the portal.

Beyond is a sight that defies description, simply because no words exist – that Cecil knows, at least – to adequately convey it. The other side of the portal lies on what looks like open ground, stretching out and out towards what can only be _mountains_ (are mountains real on this plane?) and rolling hills.

And all of it, _all of it_ , is composed entirely of glitter. There's some kind of light source overhead, meaning that every surface, every edge, every dust mote in the cool air, shimmers like crazy, and within a few seconds of looking at it all, Cecil feels like his eyes hurt.

"Whoa," Kevin breathes. "That's…"

"… _neat_ ," Cecil manages.

Up ahead, hearing them, Carlos turns. He's absolutely covered in glitter, but he beams from ear to ear. "Isn't this amazing?" he exclaims.

"You found it!" Kevin gushes, sounding just as excited, and Cecil's heart melts a little at the two of them. "You actually found it!"

"I think it's safe enough," Carlos says. "You can come further in."

So they do, even though every step is dazzling; hurrying over to Carlos and throwing their arms around him. And this – like every movement here – fills the air with more glitter; shimmering and sparkling in the air.

"This might just be the best Christmas surprise ever," Kevin exclaims.

"You definitely outdid yourself this time," Cecil agrees. "It's… well, _fabulous_."

"I try," Carlos replies, grinning as he looks back the way they've come… at which point he suddenly seems concerned. "Ah, oh dear, I think the portal might be starting to destabilise. Possibly we should run…"

Behind them, the portal is starting to flicker, and to ripple in a very unstable-looking way. Not arguing, both Cecil and Kevin grab hold of one of Carlos' hands each, and they race over the sparkling ground – glitter trailing in their wake – towards the portal. The flickering gets worse, and there's a second in which Cecil worries they might not make it, but then before he even knows it all three of them are leaping forwards.

They crash back through the portal into Carlos' lab in a shimmering cloud, falling into a heap on the ground; all three of them tangled in each other and the safety rope. Looking up, they have mere seconds to process how rapidly the portal is flickering, before it collapses in on itself, imploding in a sudden burst of light that sends a renewed burst of glitter flying everywhere.

And… silence.

"…that was _amazing!_ " Kevin exclaims, from where he's lying on the ground.

Carlos sits upright, staring around at his lab, which is now coated with glitter. "That… was something," he manages, and then blinks at them from behind his safety goggles. "It… wasn't quite the Christmas surprise I was planning," he says, "but somehow it worked better than I expected…"

"Should we be concerned about the amount of extra-planar glitter in here?" Cecil asks.

"Oh, I don't think so," Carlos replies. "Not from a safety perspective, at least. It's going to take _weeks_ to get it off the workbenches, though…"

"Never mind the workbenches," Cecil says, with a grin, "it's going to take enough effort just to get it off the three of us…"

"It is _very_ festive, though," Kevin points out, grinning too. "Makes a change from all the blood…"

It's hard not to find Kevin endearing when he comes out with things like this. Even now. Cecil headtilts towards the door. "I think maybe we should try to get to the shower without trailing glitter all the way through the house…"

"Somehow I don't think that's going to go according to plan," Carlos replies, with a wicked look in his eyes.

It doesn't. But then, that's part of the fun.

It is Christmas, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas, dear readers! Whatever this time of year is to you, I hope it is filled with joy and happiness. And more than a little fabulousness... ;-)


End file.
